Dark Thorn
by Insensatus
Summary: A demon with no memories and a faded contract on her hand... Helina Archuleta. The Queen has sent the Earl to discover what happened to the marchioness, Lady Isabelle. Sebastian seems to know something about Helina. How are these strange events connected?
1. Chapter 1

THE DUSTY PATH

I didn't have any memories when I woke on a dusty path. There was only one clue to my past, a strange, faded circle imprinted on her hand.

I ventured out into the world, into the little town. Human food, which I could smell from a hut in the distance, didn't appeal to me despite my hunger. No one was in the town, except a tall man wearing black and a young boy dressed in blue.

The man noticed me before I approached him. He said something to the boy, and started to speak. "Helina Archuleta, why are you here?"

I gazed into the man's eyes. They were a dull shade of red, and reminded me of something. He had an aura of power, a sense of danger around him. "I'm not sure why I'm here, Sebastian Michaelis." The name fell off my tongue naturally.

Sebastian wasn't surprised that I knew his name. "Young Master, shall I dispose of her?"

The boy considered this. "No, Sebastian. Leave her be. The business of the Queen comes first."

Sebastian obliged and turned away, not sparing another glance at me.

"Wait!" I called. "Take me with you, please. You know something about me, don't you?"

Sebastian stopped. "Helina, you have left your master. I, unlike you, am going to enjoy a nice _dinner_, so please leave now."

The "Young Master" seemed to smile. "Sebastian, who is this… woman?"

Sebastian was reluctant to answer. "Just an astray demon."

"And if we allowed her to follow us on our journey, that would be quite inconvenient?"

The tall man bristled in annoyance. "Young Master, this situation is unlike the one with… Pluto. She would not just be of inconvenience, as you would be taking in another demon."

The boy smiled. "I wouldn't be the one taking her in, it would be _you._"

Sebastian glared at me coldly. "Very well, Young Master. Come, Helina."

I followed them deeper into this unknown town. Too intimidated by Sebastian to talk, I looked at the boy during the trek. There was something about him that appealed to me, something that made my hunger stronger.

Sebastian made a disgusted noise. "You really don't have any pride as a demon."

I instantly shifted my gaze to my black boots. They had high heels and long laces. Somehow, they were tied perfectly symmetrical, and polished like a mirror. I was wearing a Victorian style dress that was all black and sheer black tights. I had only one white glove on my left hand, and the right one was exposed, showing the strange circle.

After a couple minutes of uneasy silence, we arrived at a dark building with a sign stating "Undertaker".

I followed Sebastian and his master into the building. A high pitched laugh echoed through the walls.

A coffin creaked open. "Welcome, Earl. Is today finally the day you will get into your own… special casket?"

The boy sighed. "Undertaker, you know why we're here."

The Undertaker laughed again. "I see you have brought a new friend here. Let her bestow the finest laughs upon me!"

Sebastian smirked. Nervously, I glanced at the Undertaker. Somehow, I knew he was a Death Reaper. "Okay… so what do I do?"

The Undertaker's loud cackle echoed in the room again. I looked around, bewildered. "Did I do something wrong?"

Gasping for air, the Undertaker spoke. "No, no. It's just… you're hilarious!"

Sebastian's master had a strange expression, as if he was experiencing déjà vu. "Undertaker, you've had your laugh. Now tell us about the missing marchioness, Lady Isabelle."

"She is not here. However, two of my recent "customers" were her close friends."

"How were they killed?" the earl demanded.

"Earl, they weren't killed…" the Undertaker said, gesturing to two caskets. He opened them, showing two young women dressed in silk evening gowns with delicate lace and ribbon trims.

They looked strangely familiar, just as Sebastian did. A chill went down my spine. Sebastian turned to look at me. "They weren't killed… Helina took their souls."


	2. Chapter 2

FIRST MEMORY

A flash of pain shot through my head after hearing Sebastian's accusation, as if something was stopping me from remembering. "I… I can't remember."

Sebastian's master walked out of the building, Sebastian following closely. After taking one last look at the grinning Death Reaper, I followed the earl back to his home in London.

It was getting late, so Sebastian put the young master to bed. Then, he took me to a small room, a servant's room, in the mansion.

"Helina Archuleta," he addressed.

"Sebastian Michaelis," I mimicked.

"Word your true intentions. A demon never does something without intention."

I sighed. "Sebastian, I have no memories."

"And do you know who might've stolen your memories? A Death Reaper, perhaps?"

"I do not know."

"Or you may have erased your own memories, to hide something?" he mused. "For you to have woken in this specific town just as the Young Master was here. Don't you find that strange?"

"I do not know," I repeated.

His icy glare fixed on my eyes. "That is quite inconvenient. If any harm comes to my master, _any harm_ _whatsoever_, you will die, understand?"

I nodded. Sebastian was a powerful demon, probably one I couldn't defeat.

He left, probably to do some butler things that I did not understand. I spent all night trying to remember memories, but was rewarded with only flashes of pain in my head.

When dawn finally approached, I went to the butler's room to find Sebastian ironing a newspaper.

"What do you plan to do at this household?" he asked without looking up.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Surely you don't plan to intrude on our peaceful lives without some sort of payment?"

"I am in the care of you, Sebastian. Do what you like with my time."

"I would just kill you," Sebastian said, taking out several polished silver forks. "But I am bound to the Young Master. Instead, I will teach you the proper butler aesthetics."

In the next week, my nights were filled with "training" from Sebastian, which usually ended in a lot of blood loss from me. During the day, Sebastian and the master, whose name I learned to be Ciel Phantomhive, would go out investigating the matter the Queen sent them here for. Sebastian didn't allow me to go along, but I didn't mind the peaceful silence in the mansion.

One day, Ciel and Sebastian returned with important evidence. It was the same day I had my first memory.

_"Helina," a girl's voice called out in the fog of the forest. "Kill them." She flipped back her long, blonde hair to reveal a blue contract seal on her neck._

_ I took off my glove to reveal a matching seal. "As you wish, my Lady."_

_ Easily, I slashed through the fragile, soft skin of the humans. We continued deeper into the forest. The girl collapsed._

_ "My Lady!" I bent down and picked her up. "Do not strain yourself, your health is already poor."_

_ She waved me off. "That is of no concern to you. We must find the Death Reaper."_

_ I smiled. Dinner was almost ready._

My heart raced. What did this mean? I had a contract with her, that girl. The contract seal was faded on my hand, but not gone. She was still alive somewhere.

"- return to the manor house," Ciel was saying.

"Young Master, it would be wise to return soon. Leaving _those people _alone for so long…"

"But we must complete the Queen's work. With this evidence, I trust that you can find more. This is an order, Sebastian. Fine the kidnapper of the marchioness!"

Sebastian bowed. "Yes, my Lord."


End file.
